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Home , Wearable art

THE WONDERS OF WEARABLE ART

At left: Susan Holmes: Parachute Bride which won I write this article as a confessed Wearable Art Tragic. 2nd prize in the Spark Digital Creative Excellence I love the notion of it and the way I have seen that notion Section, WOW 2014. Made from a 1939 silk manifest itself in the Antipodes, chiefly in New Zealand parachute. Photo Phil Fogle which has turned out to be a world leader in WOW factors, Above: Susan Holmes, Rainbow Warrior, Winner Silk but also in Australia where I have lived for forty years, Section WOW 1993 and Runner-up to the Supreme having arrived from the USA in 1975. Award. Made of crinkle silk, appliquéd velvet, appliquéd stiffened shade cloth and nylon sail cloth. I decided it would be best to take readers on a personal Photo Phil Fogle journey into this amazingly rich area. There are so many manifestations that I feel almost as overwhelmed as a first-time visitor to the World of WearableArt Awards in WOW® is registered by the World of WearableArt™ Wellington New Zealand must surely feel. These days there (New Zealand). For the purposes of this article, are anywhere from 150 to 200 rigorously selected wearable WOW and World of WearableArt are used. These are artworks performed over 2 hours each Antipodean spring protected business names. for up to 14 performances. Above: Trophy by Svenja, shown in the Bizarre section of So how to narrow the vision and still make it expansive? WOW® 2016: Antlers and animal heads, women and breasts, First I must request a willing suspension of disbelief. If trophies to some, with or without their hosts. This piece looks you don’t think Wearable Art is ART at all, I will not try to at the way humans attribute value to certain things—in this convince you otherwise, although I might hint at this case the magnificent antlers of the deer which we cut off and being a kind of impoverishment when it feeds my own display, and women’s breasts which are padded, plasticised and also put on display, reducing the deer and the woman to spirit so voluptuously.... a single body part. Constructed of a wire armature wrapped in tulle (to If you worry too much about wearing what you see strengthen and neaten joints) which was then covered in on these pages, it’s unlikely you’ll be faced with that handmade merino pre- strips—wrapped like ribbons and dilemma. No-one really expects you to choose from the wet felted. Once that initial structure was in place, I needle highly dramatic wearable art rack for a little black to felted over it, building up more merino wool and adding the wear to the opera. For myself, I can only say that wearing brown Alpaca. one of Susan Holmes’ lavishly flowing and gorgeously Model Adam Lin is the 2016 Mr Pole Dance Champion constructed garments might make you feel differently (Australia), originally from Taiwan and now living in Brisbane. Photo Chantal Brennan about yourself, and art, for the rest of your life—in a good way. That’s how it worked for me. Left: Hakuturi by Svenja received awards in the 2013 Brancott Estate WOW® Awards Show, Air New Zealand South Pacific Susan Holmes, a New Zealander, was one of the early Section: judges of WOW, in 1991, with the event itself having First: International Australia/South Pacific Section commenced in a very small way in 1987 in Nelson. Since Second: South Pacific Section Photo World of WearableArt™ then she has created a total of 47 entries for WOW over the years—which includes commissioned, exhibition and replica garments. She has received 19 awards including 7 First Prizes, 1 Supreme Award and 1 Supreme runner-up, 1 WOW special award, plus other special prizes. Why are people so excited by these I asked Susan for some comments about her Wearable Art extraordinary clothes that are so addiction and she said: WOW is a strange art form in itself, created by Dame Suzie Moncrieff. It is a highly commercial unwearable, difficult to make and are enterprise involving a Board of Directors, a museum , a shop, travelling exhibitions and of course a huge exciting show so full of weird ideas? that now dominates the artistic landscape of Wellington for a month every year.

Thousands of people have seen it and many more both from NZ and overseas know of it. Wearable Art has become a subject in schools and is taught in university departments all over the world. In fact, people love it with a passion!

Sometimes, as a designer, I am asked to talk about Wearable Art at local schools and am amazed to find a passionately dedicated teacher with a keen class that knows all the sections of the WOW show and students are going to make their own garments for a spin-off show at their school and be marked on it for exams. They love it and their efforts are

Left: Susan Holmes: Dragon Fish winner of WOW Supreme Award 1997 (also winner of the Silk Section). Photo Phil Fogle. Above: Susan Holmes, Rainbow Warrior, Winner Silk Section WOW 1993 and Runner-up to the Supreme Award. Made of crinkle silk, appliquéd velvet, appliquéd stiffened shade cloth and nylon sail cloth. Photo Phil Fogle ..’wearing one of Susan Holmes’ lavishly flowing and gorgeously constructed garments might make you feel differently about yourself, and art, for the rest of your life..’

found the liberation in Wearable Art that Susan Holmes refers to. It’s a heavily populated Hall of Fame out there Left: Susan Holmes: Blue Lagoon (photo Ben Barrett) Created and I hope readers will investigate it for themselves. for WOW 2003. Received a Highly Commended in the Creative N.Z. Artistic Excellence Section. Suzie Moncrieff said that ‘Blue I have chosen to focus on Susan Holmes’ defining role in Lagoon’ had clean sculptural lines and made reference to the traditional as well as the colours of the Pacific Ocean. the development of the World of WearableArt in New Zealand—and then to consider several Australian artists Above: Susan Holmes, Wild Places– Runner-up for the Great who have found it an ideal palette for their talents— New Zealand exhibition which was planned by Pamela ending with a look at what has recently been re-branded Elliott and judged by UK artist Lucy Goffin. Made 1991. Consists as WAM—Wearable Art Mandurah in Western Australia— of , cloak, crinkle silk and . Stretch nylon over and how it is positioning itself in Australia to attract the bra boning. Photo Phil Fogle. Auckland War Memorial Museum best in wearable art worldwide. Applied Arts Collection Susan Holmes won the WOW Supreme Award in 1996 amazing and rewarding. What a surprise and how different with Dragon Fish. She was a valuable companion in 1998 from my school days when we were lucky to struggle when my own journey technically began as I had been through making a . asked to judge what was by then branded the Montana World of WearableArtAwards™ (Montana Wines having When I talk to International designers who come to purchased the naming rights which subsequently passed Wellington for the show they have studied former pieces from on to Brancott Estate). By this time the annual Nelson- the show and even know pieces that I made 20 years ago.... based event had grown from a small local affair to a well- defined force—even though there were still many worlds In answer to the question, Why are people so excited to conquer. WOW grew in size and impact each year. by these extraordinary clothes that are so unwearable, These days many will view it as a Wellington event as it difficult to make and are so full of weird ideas? Susan moved there in 2005. However, the World of WearableArt replied: I believe it’s because they strike a gong for freedom: and Classic Cars Museum continues the dynamic freedom from propriety, from the useful and sensible, from relationship with Nelson, being one of the first places you fashion, from having to make the right impression and look encounter when near that city’s airport. nice, and above all, freedom to communicate as an artist. Returning to 1998, there were four judges in all plus Suzie As I plunge ahead with this personal journey I am Moncrieff, originator of the whole concept. We reviewed painfully aware of all the very fine artist makers there all the garments that had arrived during July. Each was is insufficient space to include—all those people who modelled for us and we did blind judging and then compared notes. As often happens (and I am sure this is still the case) there was a surprising amount of agreement and occasionally some bare knuckles disagreement as 10 categories were considered. I was the only non-maker participating in the judging, being an arts administrator and active promoter of the arts. There were numerous categories including some special ones for works made in silk, wool, by tertiary students, etc. Around 7,000 people attended the three nights of the performances and the prize pool was $32,000 with the Supreme Award being worth $7,000. (The upcoming awards in 2017 will see 40 awards being made with a prize pool of about $165,000, while attendance will exceed 60,000 people.)

The outfits that were selected to be part of the 1998 Awards Show were seen in September in dress rehearsal at the Trafalgar Centre in Nelson and final judging occurred at that time. Some very clever people were involved both in designing the award performances and its costuming. The Supreme Award winner’s work is always purchased along with other works selected by Suzie and her sister, Heather Palmer, Competition Director.

I asked Susan Holmes for her response to the nature of the competition and she spoke of some very natural concerns: This is a strange one, as there are no critical reviews of either the designs or the actual show by experts. The judges pick winners which give an idea of their preferences, but there’s no real evaluation of the standard overall or of specifics. We all share our opinions with our friends but delicate egos are protected. We need to grow up and be able to discuss artistic excellence more freely. I don’t want to get away from the sheer ebullience and wackiness of the show by getting all nitpicky and academic, but I do want to read and talk about what worked and what didn’t, and why....

Right: Biolumina by Svenja: Many of the finalists for each event do gather for Q&A opportunities with the public and ideas Geni Creative Excellence are discussed each year as an integral part of WOW. There is now such a lexicon of outstanding Section: Theme Art of outfits that the time may be coming for more in-depth assessment. Having recently turned 74, Light, 2010 Brancott Susan Holmes is pondering her ability to continue entering WOW, but will remain an important Estate WOW® Awards resource whose own ideas about ‘what works and what doesn’t’ will always be illuminating. Show. Runner-up Wellington International Let us now consider a few—indeed a very few—of the many Australians who have entered Award. This work was WOW over the years, again with apologies to those that do not appear here. Space is limited bought by the WOW® and choices must be made. Oversights are not intentional. Trust for their collection, and was featured on the 2013 Air New Zealand Catherine O’Leary, based in Melbourne, is best known as a felt maker and she has applied these advertising campaigns skills, among others, to a growing fascination with WOW and the excitement of having her throughout N.Z. and pieces paraded since she first began entering (even getting as far as acceptance into the award within the airline. performance is seen for the accolade it is in becoming a Finalist).

Above: Interestingly, O’Leary has begun collaborating with close friend Cheryl McHugh who was an art Detail of Biolumina teacher for the whole of her working life. ‘She is retired now and finally has time to explore her own creativity. Cheryl’s enthusiasm, energy and multi-art garments to sculptural forms adorning the body, also the skills are an asset in building a structure. I wanted to work extension into leather which remains a favoured medium with Cheryl so we could share the experience of creating to this day. It was the Winner, Australia & South Pacific a garment together.” Wellington International Award and came 2nd in the Air New Zealand South Pacific Section. It is the building of a structure that resonates with O’Leary, whether it’s for her award-winning felt sculptures, Svenja articulates her notions of Wearable Art: As an artist, or building for the body. After several years of entering the touch of the artist’s individual hand, the unique skills WOW and appearing as a finalist, 2016 was the first they possess and the unrepeatability of the work is extremely year she received an award—3rd prize in the MJF important to me. While she recognizes the sheer fun of Lighting Performance Art Section for Chameleon made many of the performed works she says: I usually tend to in collaboration with Cheryl McHugh—this despite the position myself in a category of more gravity, of ‘serious’ fact that her previous entries have all been outstanding. technique and expression. As for new technologies that It’s a tough field and one where a sure hand with are clearly beginning to attract a lot of attention she materials and methods of making will always work says: Work that has been computer designed, laser cut etc. powerfully towards the full realization of ideas, something although beautiful in design, is problematic for me.... It may understood by another Australian, Svenja. be reaching a time in the ever-evolving arena of wearable art to create a new category?... Is it time for technology to stand Svenja, who lives in Brisbane, has been devoted to alone? Or perhaps it is still too early, with not enough works WOW for some years and says that the event has had being created in this genre to justify it. an enormous impact in shaping my career over the last eight years. When I began my journey in , I didn’t While Svenja’s major piece was not a finalist for WOW particularly think of creating garments. I have always had 2016, her amazing Trophy bra was accepted into the a strong interest in , expressive clothing more so than ‘fashion’, but I envisioned creating wall works. Despite my efforts, almost everything I designed I saw wrapped around a body in some way. Instead of getting my work ‘off the body and onto the wall’, it would seem that I had already been seduced by WOW’s mantra of ‘art off the wall and onto the body’. On discovery of the World of WearableArt, it became the gallery that I made for. Without it, I too would not have made some very special pieces, nor extended my practice to include fibreglass, leather, Above and right: wire, LEDs and elwire... Susan Holmes: Phoenix, commissioned by WOW on behalf of the naming rights sponsor, Montana Wines as a signature Biolumina was important piece of WOW – Montana Wines provided a creative brief to Svenja as it was her first for the garment which was used on all WOW branding – win (International Runner street and stage signage, retail window packs, generic ads, Up 2010) and was acquired etc. Phoenix is made of spinnaker cloth silk along with a by the WOW museum via stretchy nylon knit; the fabrics were stiffened with protruded negotiated purchase. It has fibreglass rods. The mask incorporates table mats, spoons and twigs. Photo Stephen Roke since been used for some serious promoting. Hakuturi Opposite page: came later, in 2013, and Erica Gray: Forms Organic, WOW 2016 Creative Excellence to Svenja it marked the Section, Surrealism, Cubism, Expressionism successful shift away from Below: Pillar of Salt by Rosy immensely popular Bizarre Bra category and of course she was there to see it in Chalklen (UK & Singleton, WA) performance. Entered in the Common Threads Wearable Art Sculptural section, Erica Gray also lives in Queensland, on the Coast, and she and Svenja have often 2016—winner of the Sculptural shared the excitement of WOW entries in recent years. In 2016 her style of making and section. Based on historic Bury St. Edmunds, the city of the imagining fit well with the Open category as well as the Creative Excellence category, designer’s birth and the stained emphasising surrealism, cubism and expressionism. All three of her submitted works glass windows illuminating the were selected to be paraded in Wellington (in the past she has been a section winner city’s cathedral interior, illuminated and Honourable Mention). Erica, now a sculptor, spent two decades in the fashion texts, and the country’s first industry and says: For me fashion was always a form of sculpture. I just never had to worry internally illuminated street sign. about the core, as the person I was fitting held up the form. Created using toilet rolls, boxes and magazines and gluing, Lately Erica has incorporated a 3D Printer Pen which extrudes plastic filament to stapling, , and produce layered details on her pieces. Textured and structured forms dominate my creative cutting and punching. Photo Travis Hayto work, as does the incorporation of synthetic materials and 3D formed elements. Forms Organic utilises hand manipulated 3D printed technologies, extruded plastic tendons Right: Catherine O’Leary: and hand woven nylon fibres, as well as hand sculpted claws, teeth and appendages. Chameleon front and back views. Collaboration with Cheryl McHugh. Materials used include pelmet Svenja makes the point that her strong involvement with WOW in New Zealand vilene, lycra and plastic. Brancott led to an ongoing commitment to what started as Common Threads Wearable Art Estate WOW® Awards Show 2016 as part of the 2011 Stretch Arts Festival in Mandurah, WA and has now been re- Winner 3rd Prize MJF Lighting branded as WAM—Wearable Art Mandurah. Svenja was one of the judges in 2016 Performance Art Section. Photo and will repeat the role in 2017 while also taking an active part in mentoring and Chris Franklin communicating about wearable art. Opposite page: Susan Holmes: Montana Duck Commissioned by Montana Wines to be shown at their 25th Jubilee Celebration in Auckland in 1997. Donated by Montana to World of WearableArt™ (WOW®) Collection.Toured to Bangkok and Singapore in 1997. Inspired by the red wine ‘Cold Duck’. Consists of hat, wings on yoke, tail, trousers. Recycled baskets, painted and appliqued, and silk stiffened with tapering split cane-like wood. Hand dyed and stencilled. Crinkled trousers. Costume in World of WearableArt™ (WOW®) Collection, Nelson.Photo Phil Fogle.

This page Susan Holmes, Island Princess 1994 Awards: Highly Commended in Pacific Paradise Section, 1994 New Zealand Wearable Art Awards. Consists of hat, bodice, skirt, cloak Technique: Recycled tapa cloth, hat brims, corn husks on hat, shells, painted discharge black cotton. Costume in World of WearableArtT (WOWR) Collection, Nelson. Photo Phil Fogle

While many Wearable Art events are thriving in Australia, and a number have been an important force for many years, I chose to end this article with a reference to the ambitions of WAM as it truly seeks to become an event that will appeal throughout Australia and internationally. This means the local community, and governing bodies, must share the vision and make a financial commitment. WAM’s goal is clearly stated as a journey “to be the leading wearable art event nationally, with extravagant, revolutionary, provocative works of art on the body”.

The year 2016 saw extraordinary work from West Australians like Rosy Chalklen with her Pillar of Salt which had pride of place on the front cover of the 2016 Showcase Program. The ‘Designer of the Year’ was Lisbeth Wahl from Italy for Set Your Light Free which literally glowed in performance.

The 1993 edition of OzArts (No. 8) drew attention to a Craig Potton publication about WOW: Angels & Bacon—Wearable Art. The words from the introduction true to this day: The growth of Wearable Art has allowed those who would not normally participate in areas defined as ‘mainstream’ art or fashion to express themselves creatively.... designers and makers have come up with entries that are bizarre, witty and beautiful, without the constraints of function or saleability.... The show’s powerful stage presence encourages prospective entrants to create works solely with the aim of being a part of it.... boundaries are always changing and undoubtedly it is the depth of creativity, not the nature of the medium, that decides the significance of the works. There is no doubt that there are artists at work in the field of wearable art. (www.ozarts.net.au) Janet De Boer OAM

Wearable Art Mandurah (WAM), formerly known as Common Threads Wearable Art will stage its 2017 award performances on the nights on June 10 & 11. wearableartmandurah.com

The World of WearableArt performances in 2017 will be held at the TSB Bank Arena in Wellington, New Zealand from 21 September-8 October 2017. Tickets go on sale from 1 February 2017: www.worldofwearableart.com Susan Holmes: Graffiti Dress made 2002 of Tivec, wool, nylon. Artwork on fabric by teenage experts in felt pen. Photo Phil Fogle